Latch construction



T S O R F L c LATCH CONSTRUCTION Filed July 13, 1935 Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCH CONSTRUCTION- Charles L. Frost, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application July 13, 1935, Serial No. 31,145

2 Claims.

' ferent positions and in different planes so that it has a wide field of application in its connection to doors, door frames, shelves or the like.

One feature of my invention resides in the balanced application of pressure against the keeper member whereby the keeper member is not subjected to any cantilever bending force and consequently it may be made of relatively thin metal. This fact aids in its construction inasmuch as it is desirable to make: it of thin metal in order to permit the sides thereof to move toward and away from each other. This movement oftentimes occurs or rather this movement is desirable when the screws are driven through the base of this member so as to cause the separated base portions to aline themselves with the axes of the screws. In other words even though the base screws being slightly placed off center, nevertheless this will not prevent the heads thereof from being brought to a flush position against the bases due to the novel resilient construction thereof.

Another advantage is that the springs contacting the latch member press evenly thereagainst and do not tend to twist the door hinges assuming that the axes of the hinges are located in parallelism to the axes of the spring pressed plungers. If my improved device is located with the axis of the spring plungers perpendicular to the door hinges then the springs of the plungers takes care of the expansion of the door. If the axis of the spring pressed plungers is located in parallelism to the hinges of the door then the expansion of the door is taken care of by the elongated slots in the keeper.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of marking means upon the keeper member whereby the same may be easily installed in its exactly correct position.

Yet another advantage resides in the symmetrical construction of my elements whereby they may be either installed in a right-hand position or a left-hand position.

The invention and the construction embodying the same may be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section illustrating the'latch in use.

Fig. 2 is a'plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the the latch structure.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the upper part of the complementary member of the latch which is used with the keeper.

,Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the keeper, and

keeper part of Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the other or I complementary latch member.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In the construction of the latch, (Fig. 6) a plate of flat metal is formed so as to have a fiat wing I the full width of the plate, which is adapted to be placed flat against the member to which it is to be attached, screws passing through suitable openings made in the wing for purposes of attachment. This plate is bent at right angles making two spaced apart extensions 2 and 3 which are separated by a slot 4. The ends of the extensions 2 and 3 are rolled into clamping rolls 5 and 6, respectively.

Within each of the rolls 5 and 6 a bullet catch is clamped and held. Each catch comprises a thin sheet metal housing 1 open at one end and closed at the other, with an opening through the closed end. A movable latching member is mounted in the housing comprising a head 8 fastened to or integral with a stem 9, the stem extending through the opening in the closed end of the housing I, and with a coiled compression spring In between the inner side of the head 8 and the closed end of the housing 1. The outer end of the stem 9 is upset so that it will not pass back through the opening through which it is passed initially in assembling. The outer end of the head 8 is rounded and curved into semispherical or bullet shape. With two of the bullet catches thus mounted opposite to each other, one clamped in each of the rolls 5 and 6, the two heads 8 slightly contact each other when projected by' the springs ID to their outermost positions, as shown in Fig. 6.

The keeper member, which is to cooperate with the latching structure described is made from a single piece of flexible flat material bent midway between its ends so as to provide two spaced apart sides H and I2 which are connected at l3. Each of the sides II and I2 is provided with an elongated slot M, the two slots in the two parts lying directly opposite eachother. The outer ends of the parts I I and I 2 are turned at right angles" making two attaching ears 15 through which screws may be passed to secure the keeper to a member upon which it is to be mounted. The connection at l3 between the sides 'II and I2 is'of a pointed character so that it will insert between the heads 8 of the opposite catches and force the same apart until the heads 8 reach the slots l 4 whereupon the same enter said slots under 7 pressure of the springs ID.

The structure permits the sides II and I2 to some adjustment whereby the screws, inserted through the at-.-

taching ears [5, may be driven to a and com.

plete entry with their head flush and against the ears. Each of the ears I 5 .has' a. projection l5a asshown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the first described structure which carries the bullet catches is shown mounted at the edge of, ior example, a shelf 16,

and with one of the bullet catches located Vere tically over the otherfThe keeper memberis secured at the inner face of a door l1. 'When the door is swung to closed posit-ionthe pointed edge at 13, as previously described, forces the two catches apart until the heads seatinthe slots 14.

Opening of the door is accomplished by merely pulling upon the same whereupon the tWo catches are forced ap'art and the keeper is re-. leased.

- While the structure are shown mounted as has been described, it is evident that they can be turned 'to different .angles'than thosesho'wn in Figs.

1 and 2, and that there are agreat manyplaoes where the latch structure may be mounted other keeper and its coo'peratinglatch inner side of a cabinet and with the keeper secured to the door so as to enter between the catches. The latch and its keeper may be reversed in position, that is, the latch secured to the door and the keeper to the cabinet or a shelf thereof, The elongation of the slots l4 permits mounting of the parts without the necessity of extreme care in mounting, and also takescare of. any variations such as shrinking, swelling or closed and the projections 15a brought to its proper position whereupon continued pressure will cause the projections'to indentand thus after the doo as n sa n nen dand therk e removed, permanently fastened in position. J The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive'oi alliorrns of structure coming within their scope,

I claim:

than on the edge of a shelf, for example, at the j 1. In combination, a latch having a flat with screw holes therethrough, two spaced apart extensions extending at right angles to the wing,

pon the outer ends ofthe extensions oppositely t0 t Wi a d jux aposed to one another ior the purpose described. 7

1 2. A combination of elements as set forth in claim 1 in which the'fiat wing is cut away'between the said extensions. V

CHARLES L. i

tw cat hes incl ads ie dably m unted??? 

